Grease pack for pressure grease guns



April 9, 1935. w. s. MAYs GREAS'E PACK FOR PRESSURE GREASE GUNS Filed Oct. 18, 1932 2 SheeLS-Shee'tl 1 nb, Q Nm. wmww vw. mw

W. S, MAYS GREASE PACK FOR PRESSURE GREASE GUNS April 9, 1935.

Filed" oct. 18, 1932 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 PATENT oFEIcE v 1,996,929 v GREASE PACK Foa PRESSURE GREASE GUNS William S. Mays, Norfolk Va., assignor of onehalf to Joseph F. Ffolliott, Norfolk, Va.

e Application October 18, 1932, Serial No. 638,375 l 3' Claims.

V'In-isinvention relates to grease Apacks for pressure-grease guns andit has for its principal object the provision of means for supplying a unit quantity of grease to the gun in package form, without k the messiness which invariably `attends the attempt to fill the gun with grease in loose bulk.

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Another object of the invention is the provision of a lgrease pack designed toy be quickly attached to a portable pressure grease vgun and containing a rcharge'of .grease under pressure, with a valvecontrolled discharge adapted to be coupled to the grease lgun and automatically opened by engagement with an element of said `grease gun when in coupled position.

, Sit-ill another object of the invention is the provision -of a grease pack having a valve-controlled discharge, -in which the grease is maintained under pressure by a spring-pressed piston or 'follower,y the pressure of thefgrease maintaining the valve closed until the valve is opened by superior pressure impressed upon it by an element of the l grease gun torwhich the grease pack is adapted to be connected. p

AV further object .ofvtheinvention is to provide agreasegpack comprising a container with valvecontrolled discharge and including a springpressedfollower for maintaining a. body of grease under pressure in said container and against said valve'for maintainingthe latter normally closed, the container'being rellable by .applying the discharge to a source of greaseunder af pressure superior to that of the spring-pressed follower, said sourceincluding an element engageable with Said valve'for positively opening it to provide for the passage of the grease.v Y

Another object of the invention resides in the combination of a grease pack of the vtype described with a pressure grease gun .including a'differential piston reciprocatingunder iiuid presure, the discharge element of said pack communicating with the high pressure side of said differential piston whereby grease is automatically fedy to said high pressure piston underpressure of the` spring follower of said grease pack and automatically delivered to the part to be lubricated through the differential pressure of the fluid which operates the piston, the feed of grease to the high pressure side being assisted and facilitated by the vacuum incidentally produced in the gun by the retraction of the high pressure portion of the piston.v 'Other objects of. the invention willappear as fthe following description of .a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawings which accompany and form a pai-noi thev followingspecication andthrough (Cl. 22d-47.3)

out the several figures Vof which the same characters o'f reference have been employed to designate identical parts, p i

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section Showing a grease` gun equipped With a grease pack of my invention, the discharge valve being shown in open position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the grease pack; e

Figure 3 is a detail in section showing the discharge end of the grease pack with .the valve closed; e f

Figure 4 is a cross section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1; y

Figure 5 is a cross section takenfalong the line 5 5 of Figure 6;

Figure 6 'is a longitudinal section through a portion of the grease gun and the anterior part of a source of grease supply indicating how the grease pack is refilled; f

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are sectional views of the pneumatic mechanism of the'grea'se gun, showing the` channel through which grease is admitted from the grease pack tothe high side lof the differential piston; y

Figure 10 is a cross section taken along the line IU--lll of Figure 12; n

Figure 11 is a cross sectiontaken along the line lI-II of Figurelz, and

Figure 12 is a longitudinal section through the valve chamber of thepneum'a't'ic' portion of the grease gun. y

Referring now in detail to the several gures and iirst' advertingA to that group of gures' included on the iirst sheet of drawings, the numeral "I represents a grease gun which is preferably of I the pneumatic type receiving fluid pressure from a pneumatic source by wayof the nipple 2. The admission of compressedair' to the grease gun is manually controlled bya trigger 3, suitably dis 40 posed with relationto the `handl'eof the grease 1 gun and operates piston mechanism including the high pressure piston Il. The lower end. of the grease gun is provided with a fitting 5 bored to form, acylinder v5 for the piston 4 and having a lateralpassage S which debouches into a cupshaped Vsocket l', the 'axis of which is preferably parallelwith that of the-barrel of the greaseg'un. Thewalls of ysaid socket are preferably provided with. longitudinal channels 8` and `9,` the'lwer 50 ends of which `are,angularly,disposed forming .bayonet Slots ill and'il for receivirigltheflug's 9 lcarried by the greasefpack;k Within Vth'es'ocket 1 and arisirigfro'rn the base thereof,V 1in* an' "axial dir'ectio'n',Y is a. boss i'ada'ptefd to make contact with 455 the discharge valve of the grease pack as will presently appear.

The cylinder 5 communicatesy with a nipple I3 to which is attached the grease hose I4, the latter being adapted to lead to the source or fitting to be lubricated.

The grease pack comprises a can or container I5, preferably cylindrical and permanently closed at the one end by a cap I6 secured in place in any suitable manner. Said cap on its inner face is provided With a boss l1 adapted to allocate and fix the smaller end of a coil spring I8, the larger end of which presses against a follower which in general is indicated by the reference character I9.

The follower may be of any suitable construction, but is here shown as comprising a cupshaped head 29 riveted or otherwise suitably secured to a washer 2 I, with a cup leather 22 intervening. The cup leather is preferably directed away from the spring I8; in other words, it faces the chamber of the container which functions as a reservoir'for the grease.'

. The opposite end of the container is closed by a fitting 23 depressed from an outward direction and formed centrally with an outwardly extending discharge connection 24 having a spider 25 arranged transversely at an intermediate point, said spider being centrally perforated and serving as a guide for the stem 26 of a valve 21, the latterl cooperating with an annular valve seat 28 formed on the fitting 23. The valve is normally maintained closedby means of a spring 3D compressively held between the spider 25 and a washer 3| suitably retained on said valve stem. The spider is provided with perforations 32 for the passage of the grease. The dischargeconnection 24 communicates with the cylinder 5 of the grease gun as has been stated, by means of the lateral passage 6.

The grease gun is provided with suitable quick attachable means for the grease pack, said means in the present instance being exemplified by the latch members 33 and 34, the former of which is fixed to the grease gun and the latter being secured to the grease pack. The relation of the latch member 34 to thev grease pack is such that when the grease pack has been slightlyjrotated to bring the lugs 9 into the bayonet slots, said latch member 34 will pass beneath the latch member 33, holding the grease pack in position on the grease gun.

`The grease pack after havingbeen emptied may be removed from the grease gun and refilled by pressing the valve stem 26 againsta boss 35 fixed within a-spout 36, the latter forming part of a barrel or drum of grease. Said spout is provided with bayonet slots 31 and 38 preferably quite similar to the bayonet slots provided within the socket 1 and receiving the lugs 9. When the grease pack is presented to the spout 26 in the manner shown in Figure 6, the valve 21 is opened and grease under the superior pressure in which it is stored in the tank enters the grease pack pressing the followerv I 9 back against the resistance of the spring I8 until the grease pack has beenA filled. The moment the grease pack is uncoupled' from the spout 36, the valve 21 closes and the grease is retained under pressure in the grease pack.

Inusing the grease pack, it is placed in position relative to the grease gun in'manner already described,` the valve 21 being 'opened through contact with the boss I2 and the grease issuing under the pressure of the follower, vfilling the lateral passage 6. When the piston 4. has retracted so as to uncover the portformed by the end of the lateral passage 6, grease enters the cylinder 5 under the pressure of the spring follower. Upon its forward stroke, the high pres-- sure piston 4 delivers the grease `through the fitting I3 and hose I 4 to the part to be lubricated. The continuous pressure of the grease pack maintains a body of grease always in the passage 6 in readiness to enter the cylinder 5 each time the piston 4 is retracted.

No novelty is claimed for the specific mechanism by means of which the piston 4 is reciprocated. Said piston as will be observed in Figures '7, 8 and 9 is a part of a larger piston 39- reciprocating in a cylinder 49. The piston 39 is provided With'a head 4I of slightly larger diameter than the part 39 and travelling in a cylindrical bore of corresponding diameter. Between the part 39 and the head 4I is a circumferential channel 42. Valve` mechanism 43 reciprocates ina valve cage 44 and in one position extends into the cylinder to be engaged by the head 4I. ports which need not herein be described since they are fully disclosed in the patent to Meissner No. 626,497, the structure of which has been employed in the present specification as being exemplary of any form of pneumatic mechanism by which the piston of the grease gun may be rapidly reciprocated.

In operation, the grease pack having been connected to the grease gun, the latter is grasped by the handle 45 and the trigger 3 pushed forward to the position shown in Figure 9, actuating the lever 46 to depress the plunger 41v operating a slide valve 48 which admits air under pressure through the nipple 2. The air causes a rapid reciprocation of the piston 4 which drives successive charges of grease into the bearing or other point to be lubricated. When the trigger 3 is pushed back to the position shown in Figure 1, the valve 48 is released and-the supply of air to the pneumatic actuating mechanism cut oif. It is to be understood that any form of grease gun, having a high pressure plunger may be employedwith the device of my inventiomandthat the invention residesY primarilyA in the grease pack, with such portions of `the grease gunas may be necessary to enable it to perform its 'cooperative functions. f

WhatI claim is:

1. In combination, a grease gun and a grease pack therefor, said grease gun including a fitting providing a cylinder, a piston reciprocating in said cylinder, a discharge for said cylinder, said fitting being provided with a laterally disposed portion forming a socket communicating with said cylinder at a point remote from its discharge end, said grease pack comprising a container having a discharge connection at one end adapted to slip into said socket, cooperating kcoupling means on said connection and Within said socket, a valve Within said container normally closing theinner end of said connection and having a stem extending into said connection, a. spring pressed follower within said container defining with the valved end of said container a reservoir for grease, and means arising from the bottom of said socket, engageable with said valve steml when saidv connection is coupled within said socket for opening said valve to permit the discharge of greasev into said grease gun under the pressure, of said spring pressed follower.

2. Grease gun adapted to be coupled to a grease pack comprising a barrel portion includ- The valve is connected with a system of- 5oll ing a cylinder, a piston reciprocable within said cylinder under iiuid pressure, a discharge at the outer endof said cylinder, said barrel being provided with a lateral extension' forming a socket and having a passage communicating with said cylinder at a point remote from the discharge end and uncovered by said piston, said socket being adapted to receive a connection projecting from an end of said greaseY pack, said socket being formed with coupling means adapted to cooperate with coupling means on said grease pack and with an element arising from the interior thereof adapted automatically to open a discharge valve in said grease pack when the latter is coupled to said grease gun.y

3. In combination, a grease gun having a coupling socket, a fixed rod extending longitudinally within said socket, a grease pack comprising a container having a discharge connection at one end adapted to slip in said socket, cooperating coupling means on said connection and within said socket, a valve normally closing the inner end of said connection having a stem extending into said connection, said stem being depressed by contact with said rod when said container is in coupled position for opening said valve and admitting grease under pressure from said container to said grease gun.

WILLIAM S. MAYS. 

